Trigger (Locking) Finger Injury in Golf

Hi All,

Has anyone experienced their finger locking up due to golf? My pinkie finger suddenly exhibited that behavior beginning Saturday after 6 out of 10 days in the course or range.

Info on Trigger Finger - http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/guide/trigger-finger

I also played guitar for a while and exerted a bit more effort than usual, which may have aggraveted it as well.

Would appreciate thoughts from Seniors if they have similar experiences and what they did to fix it.

For now, I hadn't visited a doctor yet as it is still manageable. I did buy a finger splint to keep it steady at night when I sleep.

Regards,

jdyap

jdyap,

I have been having issues with my left hand middle finger, so this article is timely and useful for me, many thanks.

Just as the article described, the base of the affected finger (underneath the knuckle) seems to be swollen in my case.

This tendon seems to run all the way up to the elbow, up the bicep and underneath the front deltoid, and right now it feels stiff and tender to the touch.

Of the prescribed treatment, rest, immobilisation, and ibuprofen, I know I will struggle with rest.

But I will definitely be swinging easier to avoid further aggravating the affected tendon while taking some ibuprofen to see if it helps.

Cheers.

Some resources.




http://www.repetitive-strain.com/Articles1/trigger-finger-treatments.html

This exercise below seems to help in my case.

"There are also a number of passive trigger finger exercises that you can perform several times a day. By gliding the fingers of your opposite hands on the affected finger, the joints on the affected finger may actually help in loosening the joints thereby easing the problem of having trigger finger.

There are also more trigger finger exercises that can be recommended to you by qualified chiropractors after seeing the condition of your finger. The exercises that they would recommend are meant to work on the tissue to break the toxic scars in way that is similar to friction massage.

The most important thing to remember in performing trigger finger exercises is to avoid gripping as much as possible while loosening the tendons of the finger. While these could only aid in the treatment of the problem, perform such exercises wouldn’t hurt your chances of improving the quality of your fingers’ movements. If after performing the exercises the were given for a week and you finger still keep on locking and popping, it is highly recommend that you consult a doctor once again in order to find out the proper course of treatment, which could either be steroidal or to perform a surgery.:

http://www.triggerfingertreatment.net/

This is the most detailed and comprehensive link I found so far.

Check out the animated illustration and the various types of trigger fingers.

http://www.eatonhand.com/hw/hw022.htm

Today, no choice, had to play golf despite my trigger finger.

So I took the following measure:

1. took ibuprofen to reduce the inflammation
2. taped up the swollen part with Phiten tape
3. opted for a stiff shaft driver instead of my usual x-stiff driver

And it seemed to have worked. Got sandy par, escalation par, double par, and beat the other team by 13 balls.

I too had trigger finger in the past due to golf and after consulting the doctor for the first time, was advised to rest. Was prescribed with some pain killers and muscle relaxants.

After a week, the situation didn't get better and I returned to the doctor. This time, she prescribed a steriod injection to the trigger finger area. The affected area swell for a while after the injection but once the swell subsides in 2-3 days, so did the trigger finger. Since then it has not returned.

If you're bothered by the trigger finger, I strongly recommend that you visit the doctor and request to have such a treatment to get it cured.

bigmud13,

It's good to know that the steroid injection can be so effective, avoiding the need for surgery to enlarge the tendon sheath.

Thanks for sharing.

i was happy to know of this method...

but was taken aback when the doctor says this can be done maximum 3 times in a lifetime, more will be detrimental...it's effect is not forever, last between 3-8 months depends on individual...

so now I am still suffering everyday from left foot(near pinky toe)/ankle pain and tendon inflammation...probably due golf and excessive walking on formal shoes...

Lee36328 wrote:

bigmud13,

It's good to know that the steroid injection can be so effective, avoiding the need for surgery to enlarge the tendon sheath.

Thanks for sharing.

No worries, it's always good to share. Typically steroid is attempted to try and cure the injury first if medication doesn't help. It is only if the tendons are too inflamed, then surgery is recommended. Usually that constitutes to a pretty serious case of trigger finger and I'm assuming that happens when trigger fingers are not cured early causing overly inflamed tendons.

ljlow wrote:

i was happy to know of this method...

but was taken aback when the doctor says this can be done maximum 3 times in a lifetime, more will be detrimental...it's effect is not forever, last between 3-8 months depends on individual...

so now I am still suffering everyday from left foot(near pinky toe)/ankle pain and tendon inflammation...probably due golf and excessive walking on formal shoes...

Thanks for sharing. I didn't know there is a limit to how many times steroids can be used to treat a certain area. Either the doctor short changed me or she wasn't aware too

ljlow wrote:

i was happy to know of this method...

but was taken aback when the doctor says this can be done maximum 3 times in a lifetime, more will be detrimental...it's effect is not forever, last between 3-8 months depends on individual...

so now I am still suffering everyday from left foot(near pinky toe)/ankle pain and tendon inflammation...probably due golf and excessive walking on formal shoes...

Bro,

This happened to me a lot in year 1, exactly the left side of my left foot, in the peroneus longus and peroneus brevis area.



And I had always thought it was a normal golf strain, something to live with. Until a friend commented golf should not hurt that way.

Subsequent research into the swing revealed I was loading my left foot incorrectly, causing the strain and the pain. The main culprit was excessive swaying.

With a proper pivot, the pain in the left ankle has totally gone, even if I play 3 rounds of golf back to back over two days.

So now, if something hurts from golf, I take it as a sign I am doing something wrong, and I investigate the cause and remove it.

In the case of my trigger finger, I suspect I am overloading the left arm. I am switching to a softer flexed driver (S instead of X), taking one club more for irons and swing easy instead of trying to kill every shot. Also avoiding hitting down on driving range mats for now.

how do identify if my condition is trigger finger? my ring and pinky fingers feel weird and when i press on the area just below the 2 fingers on my upper palm, i do feel some pain. is this trigger finger?

zacaroo wrote:

how do identify if my condition is trigger finger? my ring and pinky fingers feel weird and when i press on the area just below the 2 fingers on my upper palm, i do feel some pain. is this trigger finger?

Your description certainly sounds consistent with trigger finger.

The pain and slight bump you feel at the base of the finger on the palm is typical of a trigger finger's swollen tendon which is catching in the sheath, restricting movement of the finger and may cause some 'popping' as it catches and releases.

Lee36328 wrote:

zacaroo wrote:

how do identify if my condition is trigger finger? my ring and pinky fingers feel weird and when i press on the area just below the 2 fingers on my upper palm, i do feel some pain. is this trigger finger?

Your description certainly sounds consistent with trigger finger.

The pain and slight bump you feel at the base of the finger on the palm is typical of a trigger finger's swollen tendon which is catching in the sheath, restricting movement of the finger and may cause some 'popping' as it catches and releases.

i've recently just started learning golf, i guess it might be my bad gripping technique or something. if the pain is bearable, can i just leave it to heal or something?

zacaroo wrote:

Lee36328 wrote:

zacaroo wrote:

how do identify if my condition is trigger finger? my ring and pinky fingers feel weird and when i press on the area just below the 2 fingers on my upper palm, i do feel some pain. is this trigger finger?

Your description certainly sounds consistent with trigger finger.

The pain and slight bump you feel at the base of the finger on the palm is typical of a trigger finger's swollen tendon which is catching in the sheath, restricting movement of the finger and may cause some 'popping' as it catches and releases.

i've recently just started learning golf, i guess it might be my bad gripping technique or something. if the pain is bearable, can i just leave it to heal or something?

It typically occurs when we grip something like a golf club, or a hammer, too hard.

I'd go easy on the grip. And give plenty of rest in between practice sessions to allow it sufficient time to heal and grow stronger. I know it's hard, but rest is the main cure.

yea i guess i'll stay away from the range in the mean time. thanks alot for your prompt and helpful advice! :D

Most welcome.

After laying off the driving range for a few days, took a more relaxed approach to the course (minimal practice swings), and getting some massages in the affected areas, the trigger finger situation has improved noticeably.

Here's what I learnt from the massage that worked for me. Using my the knuckles of my other hand, I run them on the affected hand, on the front and back of the palm, the wrist, the forearm muscle (brachioradialis) and the tendon near the medial epicondyle. The picture below shows the tendon (ignore the part about the tear.) I can feel bumps or tightness on pressure points where there is blockage.



This promotes blood flow and my arm and hand will feel warm after a few minutes as the blockage begins to clear. After that, the joints of the affected finger can be popped easily, the trigger finger symptom is reduced and I can open and close my hand without much discomfort or getting stuck.

The key is to rest. A trigger finger on left pinkie or ring finger is very common especially for beginners as you grip harder. The base of the grip happens to rest on the palm area just below your fingers and it is aggravated by your grip being too strong or your inconsistent impact(top and duff) which may add more blunt trauma at that area.

Go gently massage the area under your finger on your palm and you will surely find it aching. There is quite a bit of inflammation there and that constricted the tendon. The problem may not even be at the tendon shealth. Take some anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen(pls check for allergy) and then rest for a week or so. Do not deliberately trigger as that cause irritation and more inflammation. Warm it in the morning before movement and ice it at night before sleeping to reduce the swelling.

Hope this helps

sry for bumping this back up.

but i think i got this trigger issue on my right hand pinkie due to my interlocking grip.

I know of a good chinese physician. have anyone tried chinese physician prior?

he like to poke holes and release blood and hes expensive.

so wanna see if anyone have this problem and went to see a physician before.

Sorry to bring this old thread up....

But I have been getting this trigger finger n am bothered quite abit.

Took anti inflammatory drugs for 3 weeks and no golf helped a lot, but once I got back to golf it came back, even if I made extra effort to loosen my grip.

Anyone has any idea how much injections would cost?

Also, would changing grips to a softer one help to reduce impact on striking and therefore help with this trigger finger?

Any advice would be much appreciated

I had it some time ago when I spent way too much time in the range. It was certainly worrying and bothersome. But I cut back my range time and wasn't quite as aggressive when I played. It slowly went away. I don't suffer from it now so I recommend taking a break, slowing down and don't try to whack 200+ balls on a daily basis. Unless you're aiming to turn pro, this is a condition you can quite easily avoid.

I too had the same problem. Had to soak my fingers in warm water. Don't hit ball after ball continuously. Relax your grip certainly helps. A friend of mine who just started golf is suffering from this same problem as he was gripping too tight. Problem went away after laying off golf for awhile. He has yet to go back to the range.

i had this as well when i first started - went to see a doctor about it and was thinking of injections as well. in the end i cut down on my range time and tried to grip my clubs less tight (used to clench them).

agree with Techno, unless you're aiming to turn pro - just cut down on range time and also try and have a not to firm grip on the club. 

FYI mine took a couple of months to go away - bit by bit. I still ranged and had games so it after a range or game would feel it again but got lesser and lesser.

So this is what I'm suffering as well.
Usually the 1st shot I take, my left pinkie will lock. Had to unlock using the "crack knuckle style".
Maybe I cracked too much knuckle previously or as the doctor said to me before, my tendons are extra stretchy and I can make many "pop" sound all over my joints. He advised me not to do that as it's bad for my joints.
But for sure I'll try to grip a little less tighter.